A 27-year-old crude oil tanker, allegedly scrapped in 2021, is expected to arrive in Venezuela later this week, according to ship-tracking data. This reflects how the South American nation sustains its troubled oil industry.

The tanker, named Freesia I, is suspected to be a "zombie vessel," meaning it may be using the identity of a dismantled ship. This method is sometimes used by vessels transporting sanctioned oil to hide their movements and cargo.

Venezuela’s oil industry, once a leading force globally, has suffered greatly due to years of sanctions and lack of investment. Nevertheless, it continues to export oil, mainly to China, with some of the oldest and least reliable tankers in the world helping keep the economy and President Nicolás Maduro's government afloat.

This year, Caracas has exported nearly 900,000 barrels of oil per day, as reported by analytics firm Kpler. While this amount is significantly lower than in the past, it has still prompted the Trump administration to enforce stringent sanctions.

“Venezuela has proven to be very skilled at hiding the origin and ownership of its oil, which helps it avoid financial and trade restrictions,” noted Dimitris Ampatzidis, a senior analyst at Kpler. “This is why Washington has shifted from just financial penalties to active disruption of operations.”

U.S. forces have targeted boats suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean. Since early December, they have pursued or boarded three tankers near Venezuela, including one that isn't under sanctions, marking a significant escalation. The U.S. claims this campaign aims to combat illegal activities and indicate a desire for regime change in Venezuela. President Trump has also stated that the U.S. would keep any seized oil.

“Even though the U.S. has sanctioned numerous vessels and entities, the flow of oil has not been interrupted. Boarding ships is the next logical step,” explained Mark Douglas, a maritime analyst at Starboard Maritime Intelligence. “It signals that misleading locations and paperwork can no longer protect you; instead, they make you a target.”

So far, these tanker seizures have not alarmed oil traders regarding potential supply disruptions, as the market anticipates a global oversupply. U.S. oil prices have remained stable amid low trading volumes since tensions increased about two weeks ago.

Venezuela relies on nearly 400 ships out of a dark fleet of around 1,500 vessels that are often old, uninsured, and owned by shell companies, according to TankerTrackers.com.

These tankers often employ tactics typical of the dark fleet to hide their movements and ownership, such as spoofing, which involves faking their locations. Like Freesia I, they sometimes take on the identities of other, often scrapped, ships.

The vessel identified as Freesia I was at Venezuela’s José oil-export terminal in early May. It began its current journey in Southeast Asia in November, indicating it would reach Amuay port in Venezuela on December 26 to pick up new cargo. It later changed its destination to “High Seas” before turning off its transponder on Tuesday near French Guiana.

Spoofing is also common. The Skipper, the first Venezuelan tanker to be targeted by U.S. forces, was using this technique during its capture earlier this month. The 20-year-old tanker falsely indicated it was anchored off Guyana from late October. However, satellite images from November 14 revealed that Skipper was actually docked at José port.

This indicates the ship had been manipulating its signals, and it only disclosed its true location on the day of the U.S. seizure.

At the time of the capture, Skipper claimed to be flying the Guyanese flag, but this has since been challenged by Guyana. Ships must be registered under a country's flag registry, which enforces safety and welfare standards aboard. Many vessels in the dark fleet use flags of convenience or fake registrations to evade scrutiny.

Regular tankers in Venezuela’s dark fleet are generally supplied by other nations, as Caracas lacks the funds to support its own fleet, which is both too small and aging.